At the beginning of the year I posted that I wanted to create something new every week to try out all the ideas that I have on my list and to help me stay motivated through Chicago's dreary winter months. I have been having tons of fun creating every week but I neglected to set a second goal for myself of putting it out there and sharing with all of you. Oops.

After discussing my successes and failures of staying inspired over some pretty awesome tacos and margs with my friend Jami, The General is the bomb if you haven't tried it, a project was born- Portrait Thursday. My good friend Jami Darwin, an endlessly talented paper artist and lover of margueritas, and I will be posting every Thursday our latest attempt at "the portrait". We started this together in the hopes we can push each other creatively, take risks and have some fun along the way. You know how it is, you are on a schedule, getting things done and feeling pretty awesome and then a new obstacle gets thrown into your week. Suddenly anything without a deadline gets put on the back burner. Well now you have a deadline, Thursday!

Join us! Lets stay motivated together. I'll be posting my weekly portrait here on my blog, Facebook and Instagram. Please join in on the fun with #portraitthursday. ALSO, every month Jami and I will collaborate on a piece and will be sharing what we come up with. The ideas are endless. I think Thursday is becoming my new favorite day in the week.

WEEK #1

Sojourner came into the studio to help me with the figure images I've been working on for my yearly Embody Peace project. More about that another day. It was freezing outside and not so warm in the studio that day. Sojourner was a trooper. Not a single complaint. We had some time toward the end of our shoot and I was able to capture this image with a bit more clothing to keep her warm.